Candidate on offensive over slogan ban

An independent candidate's how-to-vote card that says "We're
screwed" has been rejected by the NSW Electoral Commissioner, who
has ruled it offensive.

The how-to-vote card was submitted by Greg Best, a candidate in
Wyong, who has used the slogan on posters. Cr Best, who has
appealed against the decision, said yesterday the slogan was at
worst distasteful but was not offensive.

"It's amazing that in 2007 the Electoral Commission believes the
word screwed is unacceptable," he said. "They are out of touch.
It's as Australian as fair dinkum, bloody or bugger."

But the commissioner, Colin Barry, has ruled that the phrase
breaches the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act, which
says election material cannot contain words that are "obscene or
offensive".

"[Voters] should not be subjected to material that contains
vulgar language," Mr Barry said.

"Attending a polling place is a civic obligation - there is no
element of choice for the voter. It is a different environment from
the theatre, the cinema or performance spaces where the community
has a choice regarding the material they view or read."

Cr Best, a Wyong councillor, was last month accused of
orchestrating the downfall of a Liberal candidate, Brenton Pavier,
who was dumped by the party for sending a crude joke via SMS. Cr
Pavier said Cr Best had made an anonymous call to the Liberals to
complain that the joke was offensive, a claim Cr Best denied.

Cr Best's solicitor, Doug Eaton, a fellow independent
councillor, yesterday sent a letter to the commissioner to contest
the ruling.

Cr Eaton said a "common or reasonable man" would not be offended
by the phrase. "My client has had a few complaints about the slogan
but these are all that they find it distasteful not offensive," he
said. "However, more importantly, he has been inundated with
support for the slogan."